It's meow or never at Magic Catdom

Jan. 12, 2014

Updated Jan. 13, 2014 11:28 a.m.

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Judge Diana Rothermel gives Killer, 6, the Best in Show in the Household Pets category at the Magic Catdom show held at the Anaheim Business Expo. Crown City Cat Club, a national club affiliated with Cat Fanciers Association Inc., hosted the first all-breed show of the year. The playful domestic shorthair just finished a Lotto commercial in her hometown of Mesa, Arizona. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Killer, 6, wowed judge Diana Rothermel with affection first, then extreme playfulness to win Best in Show in Household Pets at the Magic Catdom show held at the Anaheim Business Expo. The playful domestic shorthair, owned by Julie Benzer of Mesa, Arizona, loves competing in shows. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Starbeam Scruffy took second in a Best in Show in the Household Pets category. Diana Rothermel judges the Magic Catdom show held at Anaheim Business Expo. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Payton Gomez, 9, of Altadena says "Calamity Jane did not act like a princess (during competition)." She tried to scratch the judge and didn't place. Her cage has a crystal chandelier. She competed in the Household Pets Categotry at the Magic Catdom show held at the Anaheim Business Expo. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Household pet owners cheer each other on and shout out the name of each winning after the judging was announced at the Magic Catdom show held at the Anaheim Business Expo. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Julie Benzer of Mesa, Arizona, left, reacts when her cat Killer, 6, takes top prize for Household Pets at the Magic Catdom show held at the Anaheim Business Expo. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Calamity Jane, 3, in her chandelier cage is pretty as a princess. The rescue cat was found in a Food 4 Less. She competed in the Household Pets Categotry at the Magic Catdom show held at the Anaheim Business Expo. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Connie Stewart of Temple City travels the globe with her Persian. Her custom gold necklace custom features 38 cat show victories. The Magic Catdom show is held at the Anaheim Business Expo. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Killer, 6, first snuggled up to judge Diana Rothermel then displayed alertness to win a Best in Show in Household Pets at the Magic Catdom show. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Judge Diana Rothermel gives Killer, 6, the Best in Show in the Household Pets category at the Magic Catdom show held at the Anaheim Business Expo. Crown City Cat Club, a national club affiliated with Cat Fanciers Association Inc., hosted the first all-breed show of the year. The playful domestic shorthair just finished a Lotto commercial in her hometown of Mesa, Arizona. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ANAHEIM It was raining cats, just cats, at the Magic Catdom show over the weekend.

Organizers said 225 cats congregated at the Anaheim Business Expo to compete in four categories. Three involved cats with pedigrees, but house cats got some play, too.

Crown City Cat Club, a national club affiliated with Cat Fanciers Association Inc., hosted the first all-breed show of the year.

Around 10 a.m. Saturday, President Cyndy Byrd of Brea made the rounds – saying hello to fellow “cat friends,” as she calls them.

Cat shows have a culture, but don't worry – it's quickly learned. But there is an unwritten rule – don't ask people how many cats they have.

If you make the mistake, you'll usually get a response such as, “More than most people.”

Forty-one breeds were at the show, including Abyssinians, American Curls, the Cornish Rex and the Maine Coon.

Byrd says raising a shorthair is pretty easy, but other breeds might take some prep work.

For Donna and Bruce Isenberg of Los Angeles, a cat bath takes three hours.

Their Persian gets a bath three days a week and each bath has about eight steps, Bruce Isenberg said.

“Jhirmack, Paul Mitchell, Redken – we use them all,” he said of products for their cat's bath.

The hobby, which the couple started about 30 years ago, has taken them to Ukraine, Germany and France.

The couple typically grab a red-eye flight on a Thursday, come home Sunday and Bruce Isenberg is off to work on Monday morning.

“Before we started this, we'd never been east of Las Vegas,” he said with a laugh.

“We've met literally thousands of people from all over the world,” he said.

The cat-show business isn't cheap.

Byrd, who just got back from China, says she spends maybe $1,000 during a show weekend.

But it's worth every penny, she said.

Walking the stalls, you can't help but notice the bling that adorns the carriers – rhinestones spell out cat names or designer labels dangle from a zipper.

Connie Stewart of Temple City shows off her wins with a gold necklace – custom-made with 38 of her cat-show victories.

She'd had best cat – exotic or Persian – four times.

“She's probably the best known ‘Persian lady' in the world,” Byrd said.

Byrd doesn't do too bad herself. Watson, her British shorthair, is the No. 2 kitten in the world.

Years ago, at her first show, her cat won a ribbon “and I was hooked,” she said.

“To me, breeding cats is an art … to get a cat that matches the standard, that's beautiful and sweet,” she said.

“Cat shows for me are like an art gallery where I get to show my art of breeding,” Byrd said.

Magic Catdom is over, but the show circuit goes year-round. Some might go as often as every weekend, while others might compete in the region every six weeks, Byrd said.

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